The Leaving Nate Job
by Maddie Meraki
Summary: Leaving Nate behind on the Maltese Falcon was already difficult; now they have to figure out how to get along without him.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or our amazing team. I simply began writing at a friend's encouragement for fun and to explore what could have happened off screen. I am making no money off of this and no copy-write infringement is intended.

The Leaving Nate Job – Chapter 1

* * *

Though he hated to admit it, Eliot realized that Sophie was right – she had arranged a proper rescue. When the helicopter landed in a large field a half-hour flight from the Boston docks, a dark tinted SUV was already waiting twenty five yards away.

Eliot helped his three team members step out onto solid ground before securing the door and following Hardison and the girls over to the vehicle.

There was no driver waiting with the SUV, so Parker volunteered. "Oh, I can drive!"

Eliot was about to respond when Sophie spoke up, "No, Parker we don't need to get pulled over in Boston just after we escaped Interpol."

It took him a second to comprehend her meaning – he attributed that to his frustration at leaving Nate injured on the Maltese Falcon. "We're not going back to Boston. Sterling is there."

"Of course we're going back to the apartment – it's part of the rescue." Sophie declared and fixed him with her look that said 'I know what is best, just trust me'.

His trust was about gone though, after what Nate had pulled. "Sophie, it isn't safe."

"Eliot, it's home. Everyone's equipment is there and Nate stayed behind with Sterling so we would be free. We need to be there, together, when he gets out." The grifter's breathing was shallow, and her voice was softer than normal, but Eliot realized she wasn't using her con voice. She was simply upset and trying to keep them together.

After going through multiple scenarios in his mind – most of them unpleasant and featuring Sterling, the hitter's protest was silenced at the sight of tears beginning to collect in Sophie's eyes. His mind involuntarily flashed to an image of Nate collapsing on the deck of the ship and instantly his decision was made. He ignored the bitter taste that left in his mouth.

"We can go back, but only after I check things out. You three have to stay out of sight in the car until I say otherwise. Got it?" The quick agreements he heard did nothing to settle his fears.

Parker and Hardison had settled quietly in the backseat while Sophie kept her reddened eyes directed towards the passing landscape. It had only been six minutes since Eliot had settled in behind the wheel of Sophie's rescue SUV and began the drive towards Boston. The decision to return to the apartment went completely against his instincts, but the flashes of relief and hope he had seen on the other three's faces helped calm some of his anger at this rookie mistake. At least he would be there to protect them, even if he hadn't protected Nate.

It was going to be a long drive back to the apartment with Nate and Sterling haunting his thoughts.

* * *

Silence. Hardison couldn't cope with silence well. Nate's apartment was subdued for the first time in months. Sure, four of them were there, but there was no news playing on the TV or happy tapping on computer keys. No one moved to turn anything on – even Eliot seemed to be avoiding the kitchen in favor of just sitting at the dining room table. The hitter's eyes looked out the windows, but Hardison knew he wasn't seeing the street. _Is he still sore about us coming back here? Or is he expecting an attack?_

Sophie had retreated to Nate's bedroom the moment she walked into the apartment, her shoulders minutely slumped as if she were cradling and protecting a prized item in her arms. A stranger would see nothing more than a beautiful, well put-together woman who seemed a little preoccupied (she _had_ paused half-way up the stairs to look around the room before climbing the rest of the way). But they weren't strangers – they were a family and to him it was obvious she felt hurt. _We're all hurt. And that argument didn't help_. Still he had felt relieved when Sophie had convinced Eliot they should return to the apartment; everything was here. _Everything except Nate_.

When they first walked in Hardison had taken a seat on the couch but within five minutes moved to the kitchen where he had a workspace and could see the whole room. Sitting with his back to everyone suddenly felt wrong. He wasn't expecting Eliot's annoyed glare from the table when he sat behind the counter, or his question. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, I'm sitting over here. Closer to the fridge and all." Hardison couldn't admit that just two minutes on the couch and using the big screens had given him flashbacks to sitting on the edge of the bed and looking up at the TV in the hotel room at the Governor's. He wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

After putting both laptops on the counter and making sure the programs were still running, he sat down with his tablet. He had his main laptop running his video analysis program on the recorded security footage here at the apartment, while his secondary laptop was completing a comprehensive computer activity check on the entire network system. If anyone tried accessing or changing anything in the system while Sterling was waiting on Nate then he would find it. He had to be completely focused. Sterling was not someone they could underestimate. Time for orange soda and gummy frogs.

Eliot gave him an annoyed look when he stood up and turned to get an orange soda from the fridge. A minute later Hardison heard a quiet growl from the table when he took the few steps over to the pantry to get his bag of gummy frogs. But Eliot's focus appeared to shift back to sulking as soon as he sat down behind the counter again.

Hardison looked past Eliot to where Parker had chosen to sit cross-legged on the floor under the stairs near Nate's desk. He was a little surprised she had not disappeared somewhere as soon as they got home. Two years ago he would have thought her just sitting there meant that maybe she didn't care about how things had played out, but now he knew better. He knew she was feeling hurt and confused because she was glaring at Nate's desk – not off in her own head. There were no locks to keep her hands busy or cereal to distract her with the crunching. She didn't even have that cute little twist to her lips like when her mind was planning a heist. Nope. She was upset Nate had stayed on the ship and angry that Sterling had beat them. Her eyes were narrowed the tiniest bit and completed fixated on Nate's chair. She was trying to figure things out.

 _Damn it_. He was halfway through his first orange soda when he realized tapping a tablet screen wasn't nearly as satisfying as hearing the clicks of regular typing. After five seconds of deliberation, he put the tablet aside and pulled his secondary laptop directly in front of him. His main laptop's processing power needed to focus on the video analysis. Within minutes he had accessed Interpol's files through his backdoor - they needed to know where Sterling had put Nate and exactly what his charges were going to be.

He dropped the gummy frog he was putting in his mouth when Nate's Interpol file alerted that he was in the infirmary. _What the hell is Nate doing in the hospital?! If Sterling has done something I'm going to… I'm not sure what I'll do but I know Eliot will do something._ Panic set in his stomach. It felt like a snake was coiled around his intestines and slithering higher into his lungs. He was having trouble breathing. "Uh, Eliot? You might want to see this."

"What now, Hardison?" Eliot growled out as he looked over to glare at him. _Yep, definitely still pouting_.

Sophie appeared half way down the stairs, freshly washed face and no more heels. "What have you found?" Hardison absently noted that her voice was almost back to normal and her eyes were clearer.

Hardison swallowed and looked nervously between the three of them. _Would Nate want them know?_ He realized it didn't matter – he was tired of secrets. "I'm in Nate's Interpol file."

Parker slipped onto the stool across from him. "And?" _When did she even move?_

Hardison glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of his laptop screen. They had been home for twenty minutes and the world was still spinning. Sophie came over to stand beside Parker and Eliot just glared at him from the table. Hardison took a deep breath before the panic snake rose into his throat. "Nate's in the hospital. He's been shot."

* * *

 _Damn it, Hardison!_ Eliot knew the rest of the team would eventually find out about Nate's injury, but he wasn't expecting it to happen this quickly. His mind automatically calculated the time frame – thirty five minutes in the helicopter, seventy three minutes drive time, ten minutes securing the building, and twenty ( _now twenty one_ ) minutes inside the apartment – one hundred thirty nine minutes total. Nate was already documented as in the hospital according to Interpol's file so his survival chances were now above sixty two percent; significantly higher than when they had flown away from the docks. The hitter released a deep breath in relief.

"Where at?" Parker's voice re-focused his attention to the trio in front of him. Eliot had never been able to predict her response to a situation. He wasn't entirely sure if she was curious where Nate had been shot physically or about the actual location from where the bullet was fired. Hardison appeared distressed at her question and looked down at his screen to find the answer.

In contrast, Sophie's reaction to Hardison's statement was more physical and the hitter had to pay close attention to see her tells. Her slender fingers tightened around the edge of the counter and her breathing rate paused just long enough to alter the otherwise steady pace. He couldn't see her eyes from his side view, but her jaw tightened for a heartbeat – hard enough the muscle in her cheek jumped before smoothing back out.

Eliot watched the hacker's eyes scan the screen before he shared the information he was reading. "According to the file, Sterling saw the bloodstains when Nate collapsed to the deck as we flew away. He called for an ambulance who took Nate directly to the hospital, where doctors will work to remove the bullet and suture the damage. He will be staying in the hospital overnight while they provide him with fluids and keep him under close observation. Sterling didn't mention anything about possible recovery. The file says that the bullet entered his left lower abdomen and Kadjic's gun is being tested for ballistic comparison."

Sophie's voice was soft again. "It _was_ Kadjic. He fired two shots at Nate as he was locking the bridge door. I – I didn't know he was hit."

Parker hesitantly reached out to pat her back in two awkward motions. "Nobody knew."

Eliot felt the guilt wash over him again in full force now that some of the fear had subsided. _He_ had known – known that Nate had still been lying to them about something, pressing on a wound under his jacket. It was obvious Nate was injured; the signs were in his guarded stance and the deliberately slow movements. He even handcuffed himself to the railing with his left hand, never pulling the right one from under his jacket – not even when Sophie slapped him. The hitter was equal parts angry and thankful that he was the only one who saw Nate's slow collapse to the deck as he climbed in the helicopter. That only he saw how the idiot mastermind was grinning like a mad man as the rest of his team flew away to safety and left him to take the fall.

Nate may have been grinning, but Eliot would carry regret until his dying day. His convictions dictated to never leave a man behind; and more than that to _never,_ under any circumstances, leave a _wounded_ man behind. Nate had his reasons for the order and the hitter understood some of them, but he would never agree with the final decision.

Worse still, Eliot would never forgive himself for complying with Nate's order – for letting an honest man go to prison in his place. _I should have jumped out of the chopper and dragged you off the ship with us. This was my fault. It should have been me._

He was going to suffocate if he didn't get outside to fresh air. Standing quick enough to knock the chair he had been sitting in over, he stormed towards the door and was in the hallway before anyone had a chance to react.

* * *

It had been quiet and Eliot was so accustomed to the earbuds that he forgot the thing was still tucked in his ear until he heard Parker's voice loud and clear. "Sparky? Where's he going?"

He was already a quarter of the way up the stairs when he heard the computer keys clicking. He was climbing the stairs two at a time when Hardison answered. "He's still in the building, headed up to the roof. He's been grumpier than usual ever since we came back to Boston. He growled at me when I got my gummy frogs out the cabinet!"

"We're all on edge right now Hardison; I doubt he was trying to keep you from eating your gummy frogs." Sophie's voice was layered with patience.

"Yeah, well I think he's just mad we came back here and didn't go off into hiding like he wanted." The hacker's voice was dismissive.

Eliot opened the door to the roof and stepped out towards the ledge, his eyes drawn to the buildings crowding the landscape. He was mostly ignoring their chatter in his ear, but he needed to keep that connection to them.

Parker's voice was serious and caught his attention. "Nate got hurt. Can we kill Kadjic?"

Eliot heard movement. Sophie's voice was strained when she answered a moment later. "No, Parker. We don't kill people; but let's go check on Eliot, shall we?"

He knew the others could climb the stairs to the roof in less than four minutes – he needed to bury his emotions before he frightened them even more. He utilized all of his mental techniques to center his mind and focus on calming down.

The hitter kept his gaze on the landscape as he heard the access door open. _Two minutes, thirty three seconds. They're worried._ He used the next eight seconds to relax his clenched fists before the others could see his tell. They were already scared and it was his job to protect them. _Even from me._

Parker appeared on the ledge in front of him with a small pout, blocking his view. "Are you going to kill Kadjic? Sophie said no, but I don't think I'd mind."

Though the thought had crossed his mind on the drive back, they were the good guys now – which meant no more killing without a damn good reason. "I'm not planning to kill Kadjic." He didn't add that it was still an option in a double-letter plan. She didn't need to know that – plausible deniability and all.

Hardison's loud footsteps ended a few feet to the left and behind him before he caught the muttered comment of "well that's good." Eliot absently filed the knowledge the hacker was still scared of heights if he was judging by the distance he stopped from the ledge.

He felt, rather than heard, Sophie as approached his right side and stood beside him. _She didn't put on her shoes to come out. Didn't want to waste the time before checking on me._ Any other time he would have smiled at the realization.

Sophie was more direct. "What about Sterling? Will you kill him or let us figure out something together, as a team?" Her voice was soft but the hitter had no trouble reading between the lines. She wanted to know if he was still with them, still had things under control. Or if she needed to be worried about what he might do going after Sterling on his own. Could she trust him?

 _There was that word again – trust_. He swallowed down the bitter taste and answered. "We'll deal with Sterling as a team." The slight glance in his direction showed she understood the message.

That decision reinforced that he still needed a plan that would protect the team – _including Nate_ – while he made sure that Kadjic was no longer a threat. Kadjic had state police and FBI in his pocket, so it would be nothing for the gun-runner to get rid of someone in prison. _You're Eliot Spencer. Focus on gaining access first._

The plan was so simple it half surprised him. He didn't need to get inside the prison himself; he just needed someone who was already inside that he could depend on to keep an eye out. That would also leave him on the main field to protect the three team members who were most vulnerable without their mastermind in play. They needed him, and he needed to step up his game.

Mentally scouring the contacts who owed him favors he picked out several he could call – the final choice would depend on where Interpol had placed Nate. Having a plan settled in his mind helped calm a fraction of the guilt.

* * *

Once the decision was made, he turned to face the man behind him. "Hardison, what can you find out about the hospital and Sterling's plans for Nate? We need to know everything we can if we're gonna make a plan to get him out."

"What can I find out? I can find out everything. Even after all this time you guys still doubt my skills, which I find insulting. I mean I'm already in Interpol, the hospital files will be nothing to hack and I can have the paperwork up on the screens in no time. 'What can I find out?' – that's just messed up man." As expected, Hardison had started off with an annoyed rant, but it got him moving off the roof and towards his computers in the apartment which was another of Eliot's goals. _Keep everyone together inside where it's mostly safe. Now just gotta get Parker and Sophie moving._

Parker surprised him by volunteering to help the hacker. "I'll come too. Look over the security plans and make sure you don't miss something."Eliot realized from that statement just how scared she felt without Nate to keep them on point. Without an honest man to watch over them, her trust was damaged.

"Miss something? Girl, I don't miss anything. Usually. But you can help if you want." Hardison defended himself from Parker's verbal poking before giving in somewhat gracefully.

As the two youngest entered the building, Eliot turned to meet Sophie's probing gaze. _Damn if your stare wouldn't make most men flinch; but I'm not most men._

Eliot knew she was trying to read him and his tells, but he couldn't let her look too close and discover that he had already known about Nate's injuries. So he waited for her to lead the conversation, unwilling to offer anything as the silence began to drag along and she wrapped her arms gently around her torso for warmth.

His resolve to stay silent faltered when she shivered slightly. It had only been four minutes but she was barefoot and had left her jacket inside the apartment. Realizing that she might actually be stubborn enough to get sick waiting on him to volunteer something, he offered a truce. "We should make sure Parker hasn't started tormenting Hardison yet. They look at entry points differently."

Sophie's eyes darkened slightly but she nodded once to accept the unspoken truce and moved with him towards the access door. She paused in the doorway and looked back, so he slowed down, but it was meeting her gaze that stopped him short. He held his breath watching her. Her voice, when she spoke, was graven and ashen, "We WILL make Sterling pay for this." And if he ever heard a spoken vow – this was it.

It wasn't a breeze that sent the icy chill down his back after that sentence – it was the sheer venom and determination he heard in her voice. He figured between the two of them, Sterling better bunker down in a hidden Serbian prison if he didn't want to be found. _Once Nate is out, it'll be my pleasure to hunt down the smug bastard and carve off the pound of flesh he's due. Might even make it two pounds_.

Eliot secured the access door behind them, and it was quiet for the two flights of stairs down to the apartment. As they walked in, Eliot could see Hardison was sitting at the kitchen counter with his snacks and Parker was hovering over his shoulder _. If you can call those sugar monstrosities snacks. I should fix up a real meal for everyone._

Mentally reviewing the produce available in the kitchen, Eliot followed Sophie's steps to the kitchen area. She continued on and sat at the dining room table facing the couch, her slender legs curled underneath her. Eliot realized they all needed comfort, but his skills were security with a very light touch of romance. Roses and a candlelight dinner wouldn't be right for them, but he could do a satisfying meal and some normalcy to help some. It would have to be enough for tonight.

Approaching the kitchen counter, Eliot allowed his voice to break the oppressive silence. "Hardison, move out the way." The hitter's eyes narrowed in disbelief when the hacker's response was just to slide his computer two inches to the left as thought that made enough room.

Eliot's growl made Parker look over from the blueprints she was inspecting on the main computer screen and Sophie frowned at the trio from her seat at the table.

"I said move. Go back to the couch or something, man." Though his voice was annoyed, he was a little bit impressed that Hardison didn't flinch or scurry off right away. _That's improvement_. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.

"Why? I'm kinda in the middle of working here. I know which hospital Nate's in, but Sterling is being careful about what he's adding to the Interpol file. I'm hacking the hospital's servers now to find out how surgery is going and which floor he'll be put on."

"That's good, but I can't prep with you on the counter. Unless you want to make dinner in between hacking?" Eliot allowed the annoyance in his voice to recede in favor of dry sarcasm.

"Nah, man, I'll leave the cooking to you. Just give me a minute." After acknowledging the hitter's explanation, Hardison stood and moved the second laptop in front of him over to the dining room table. Eliot watched as the younger man placed it gently beside Sophie, but angled it so he would be sitting facing the kitchen. Before he could straighten up to collect the other items, Parker was three quarters of the way around the table with the remaining laptop in one hand and the gummy frogs in the other.

Eliot was minutely amused as Hardison's eyes widened slightly in fear and he tried to form words. "Care – Careful, woman! Don't you dare drop Half-Pint!"

"I wouldn't drop it. See?" Parker carefully placed the laptop in front of the seat she apparently was claiming on the other side of Hardison.

Eliot pushed the offensive orange soda bottle towards the far edge of the counter before turning to gather the ingredients and tools he would need to cook. Everyone was safely inside, within his sightlines, and soon would be fed. Hardison was already sitting down to type on his computer and would let them know as soon as something was updated in Nate's files. _Sophie's right. We'll do this together_.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or this amazing team. I simply began writing at a friend's encouragement for fun and to explore what could have happened off screen. I am making no money off of this and no copy-write infringement is intended.

A/N: So this is chapter 2! Thank you everyone who read the story and especially those who reviewed. I will admit I had no intention of continuing this story until some of the reviews encouraged just that.

The Leaving Nate Job – Chapter 2

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Eliot was busy tossing the salad in his own citrus vinaigrette when the soft ping sounded from Hardison's laptop. Pausing his motion and setting the two spoons down in the bowl, he waited quietly for the hacker to share the news. He took notice that Sophie went still as well, obviously remembering how Hardison told them he set the alert for any updates to Nate's hospital file.

Parker was less patient. "Well? How is he?"

"Give me a second while I sort through this medical stuff." Hardison's voice dropped off towards the end as though he was distracted.

Barely eleven seconds had passed since the hacker spoke and Parker was already trying to lean off her chair to see the screen and read for herself.

Hardison wisely started talking before she could push him out the way. "Okay, so according to this Nate is out of surgery and in a SICU bed. Surgical Intensive Care Unit. They will keep a very close eye on him until he can be moved to a regular bed, hopefully in a couple days. As of right now they were able to remove the bullet and suture the internal damage, but he lost a lot of... fluids. They're working on replacing those now and the doctors expect him to come out of the anesthesia in the next few hours. We'll know more then." The hacker's voice was controlled, measured; as if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing and it sent Eliot's internal alarms ringing.

 _Fluids. Nate's getting blood transfusions_. He was aware that Hardison was trying to keep it simple for the girls, but he knew that was a _very_ simple assessment. Almost the exact one he had given them over an hour ago when he first found out about Nate being shot, other than adding which ICU department he was in. _What are you hiding?_ Staying in SICU multiple days was overkill unless he had serious complications. Normal hospital protocols had stable patients out of recovery in several hours. _What the hell is going on?_

Eliot reconsidered what he knew of the wound while Parker rifled through the blueprints and hospital papers covering the table. Nate's injury was on the left side of the lower abdomen and the damage was caused by a handgun. He also knew Nate had mostly kept up appearances for the team and stayed coherent while moving on his feet for several minutes after being shot. The blood loss would have been significant, but not gushing as he didn't leave a trail when he walked.

Shock from the trauma and blood loss would set in quickly, but could be reversed once in the hospital and receiving transfusions. The biggest threat with a gut shot would be if the intestines or stomach had been hit. That was the absolute worst case scenario and had proved fatal to all but a handful of very lucky people he'd seen with similar injuries throughout his career. Still, if the bullet had hit a little higher and only nicked the spleen or diaphragm, he knew those could be sutured and were rarely life-threatening once in the hospital setting.

Hardison said they had sutured the internal damage, but he didn't mention the external. Were they planning to leave the incision open to allow drainage and easier access in case of complications? They would have to keep him sedated in that case and could explain him staying in SICU. _I need to see those medical files to know what's really going on before I even think about telling the others anything._

Eliot had already turned the heat off the large pot of soup and begun ladling it into a bowl for each of them when Parker finally spoke up. "SICU? That area has almost double the personnel as regular rooms. It's going to be twice as hard to get him out of there."

"Four times as hard. Sterling and the FBI are there guarding Nate." Sophie used her 'let's be reasonable' voice and Hardison became ashen. Eliot was honest enough to admit he was pleased not to be the focus of her stare this time; let the hacker pay for trying to con their grifter. He took a little pity on the younger man when the hacker started shifting in his seat.

"Parker, move the papers," Eliot said. "No point in cooking if we wait till it's cold to eat." He carefully placed the salad bowl and basket of toasted bread in the middle of the table as Parker gathered up the strewn pages and gently laid them on the empty chair beside her. Hardison closed both laptops and placed them on the floor beside him as Sophie handed out the stack of plates and utensils Eliot sat in front of her.

"Watch the bowls, they're hot" Eliot warned as he placed said bowls in front of each team member. Once all four bowls were delivered, he took his seat at the table beside Sophie.

Throughout dinner the table was quiet save for the sounds of forks scratching on plates and spoons tapping on the sides of bowls. The usual joking and story-telling that accompanied mealtime had disappeared along with their leader. Eliot knew the other three were trying to figure out their own plan to rescue Nate; he was doing the same thing.

Eliot's frustration was building. _I'm the retrieval expert damn it, so why is this so complicated?_ Leave it to Nate to be arrested by Sterling, the only man they couldn't defeat. Always a draw between Nate and Sterling. _How the hell do we have a chance on our own?_

Any normal guards and they could show up with paperwork and walk out clean, but Sterling knew them. Knew how they worked, both alone and together. Since lethal anything was out of the question it was ten times harder to plan a clean exit. He had to consider witnesses and the chance they would be followed or worse, reported as kidnappers to every law enforcement agency before they could get out of the state. He could manage a contained unit of less than lawful individuals, but they couldn't outrun a radio and thousands of officers targeting them for very long, even if Hardison did his geeky things.

Nate's condition and post-op requirements meant they couldn't risk getting into a chase – driving fast and dangerous enough to slip dozens of cops and potential air support would be impossible, as would be swapping vehicles quickly. Not to mention, Nate would need a long recovery after – if – they escaped at all, during which they would be sitting ducks and vulnerable.

 _We're screwed._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or this amazing team. I simply began writing at a friend's encouragement for fun and to explore what could have happened off screen. I am making no money off of this and no copy-write infringement is intended.

A/N: So this is chapter 3! Thank you everyone who is reading the story and especially those who reviewed. I want to send out a special thank you to Valawenel and musingmidge77 for being my betas and support system. They are absolutely inspiring and brilliant women.

The Leaving Nate Job – Chapter 3

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Sophie couldn't stomach food at this moment. She understood Eliot was doing his best to keep everyone's strength up – and his hands busy at the same time – but not knowing what was going on with Nate had her stomach performing acrobatics.

The last time Nate had been shot everything had been simple. Eliot carefully stitched him up on the drive home in the ambulance they had 'borrowed', and Nate recovered by resting his shoulder for a few weeks. Today's shooting was entirely different. Nate was in the hospital's intensive care unit after surgery and Hardison had omitted the majority of medical information from his five sentence report.

Sophie knew the younger man meant well and was trying not to scare them, but this was not the time to be hiding information. His hesitation was palpable and his usual rapid-fire disbursement of information had slowed to a measured stream. The hacker's pause before he said fluids was so obvious that even Parker had furrowed her brows in that half-second.

Sophie quickly reviewed what he had told them about Nate's condition and her worry spiked again. Her medical knowledge was limited, surely; however Hardison had slipped out a few clues. The doctors were planning to keep Nate in SICU for several days, and he had yet to wake up from surgery so he must be in terrible shape. Hardison had only mentioned the surgeon sutured the _internal_ damage, and that encouraged her imagination try to determine what possible external damage Nate may have sustained beyond the bullet's entrance. After only a few images filtering through her mind – one of which led to a dead body – she quickly decided not to think on _that_ subject anymore.

Instead, she attempted to bury her fear for Nate and turned to focus on the others sitting around the table eating. Eliot was on her right side and appeared mechanical – he was eating steadily but he wasn't savoring the food like he usually would. He was clearly distracted, only eating because he knew he had to be ready when they went after Nate. The table was almost finished with the meal and so far he hadn't even noticed she had eaten less than a third of her soup. _That_ fact told her he was more worried about this whole situation than he wanted to let on, and likely Nate in particular. _Bloody hell, now I'm even more worried._

"Eliot, pass the salt please." Sophie saw him freeze for a half second before his mind returned to the room. She saw the exact moment he refocused on the rest of the team and his scowl at the food still on their plates left her feeling slightly more normal.

"I already seasoned the soup," he muttered under his breath as he handed her the salt shaker.

"Yes, and everything was lovely, I just prefer a little more salt tonight. Thank you for making dinner." He nodded his appreciation and went back to cleaning his plate with more interest. _That's better._

"I liked the soup, Sparky!" Parker's words made Sophie smile and she turned her focus towards Parker. The thief had finished her entire bowl of soup a moment ago and was now chasing down the last pieces of salad on her plate. Her visible enthusiasm for spearing the remaining pieces on her fork indicated that while she was worried about Nate, she maintained her regular appetite. The act reminded Sophie of the time Parker stabbed the mark with a fork and mused again on how different Parker's formative years had been and how she was still developing an understanding of human emotions and connections.

Sophie's main concern for Parker was at her planning – when looking over the blueprints earlier, the younger woman had made detailed notes about the elevators and air vent locations. Visiting Nate wasn't an option with Sterling around and from the way Hardison talked it would be days before the mastermind would be stable enough to risk an escape, so Sophie decided to keep a closer eye on the blonde woman for the time being.

The final person sitting – or rather slouching – at the table was their hacker, who appeared miserable without his laptops for distraction. His half-empty bowl of soup was pushed out of his immediate space and he was merely pushing the remaining food around his plate. _Perhaps looking at the medical files has turned his stomach?_ Hardison must have felt her gaze because he straightened in his chair with tensed shoulders as he shifted his body weight more towards Parker. _He's trying to avoid me._

Sophie's fear for Nate was reignited when Hardison restlessly glanced towards the window behind her and suddenly met her eyes. He immediately tore his gaze from hers and ducked his head towards his plate. Well that was most certainly suspicious _. Is Nate dying and you simply have no idea how to tell us?_

Parker was the first to move after finishing her meal, and Sophie watched as the blonde quickly placed her plate, bowl, and utensils in the sink. The silent movement in the kitchen behind Eliot was enough to draw his attention.

Sophie quietly watched as Eliot began clearing the table of the serving plates and cleaning up the kitchen. His movements were still a little stiff; however they had regained the majority of the smoothness she had grown accustomed to seeing from him and helped calm her nerves just a bit.

"Finished eating, Hardison? If so, I'll take your bowl." Sophie motioned towards his bowl.

"Oh, uh yeah, thanks." His voice was soft and he still refused to look up at her but at least he didn't flinch when she spoke him.

Stacking Hardison's bowl on top of hers and the utensils on their plates, she stood and carried everything to the counter beside the sink. Close enough to be noticed and cleaned, enough distance to stay out of the way until Eliot was ready for them.

Retreating back to the dining table she saw Hardison setting his computers up in front of him. On the way to her seat she collected the papers from the chair and started spreading them out on the table again. _We need to at least start planning an escape._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or this amazing team. I simply began writing at a friend's encouragement for fun and to explore what could have happened off screen. I am making no money off of this and no copy-write infringement is intended. My only form of payment are reviews :)

A/N: Thank you everyone who is reading the story and especially those who reviewed. I want to send out a special thank you to Valawenel and musingmidge77 for being my betas and support system. They are lovely women and wonderful writers themselves.

Chapter 4

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Sterling loathed hospitals. The white walls around him and steady beeping of Nate's heart rate monitor was driving him mad. The mechanical humming of the other machinery he could tolerate, however that infernal beeping had grated his last nerve. He quickly stood and crossed the room in five steps; two more and he entered the hallway. Nodding to the agent posted outside Nate's room, he sidestepped a nurse on his way through the over-sized entrance/exit doors into the main hospital. Finally Sterling couldn't hear the beeping any longer.

He ambled down the hall towards the main lobby, taking his time and watching the foot traffic passing by him. He made it one more step before a blond head appeared in front of him. Nevins, FBI agent. He bared his teeth in a snarl that the woman provoked just by breathing the same air as him.

"What are you doing out here?" she said, and his snarl transformed into a low growl as she continued talking. "I was on my way to inform Agent Rollins that I cleared Ford to be transferred to a single room down the hall. The doctor said Ford needed to stay in this wing but since I filed the request he would transfer him. A single room will be much easier to work from."

Sterling felt a headache developing behind his forehead. This was the stupidest woman he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting, let alone supervising. "They aren't moving Ford, so there is no need to tell Rollins anything. Nate is staying in SICU as long as he can so you need to go find whichever doctor you spoke with and withdraw your request."

"Protocol states that when possible subjects under arrest should be placed in a single room to enhance control of the situation." Nevins placed a hand on each hip and had the nerve to frown at him. "That's what I'm doing. Maybe you should review your own protocols."

She was completely infuriating. "I don't need to review anything," he said. "Transferring Nate out of SICU will only make things easier for the rest of Nate's team to help him escape, not for Interpol to make sure he is still here to stand trial in a few months."

"Interpol _and_ FBI, this is a joint case between ou-"

Sterling ignored her and continued to explain. "More people around Nate make it harder for his team to try anything without being observed by someone – even if it's the nurses and not one of your agents. The glass walls in SICU mean anyone near the nurse's desk or even just walking by can see everything happening inside the room-"

"The tiny room!"

Hearing her whine increased his headache exponentially. "Clearly the room is cramped when more than one person is in there; that's why I put your agent outside the door. Now, interrupt me one more time and I will shoot you."

Sterling would bet his car that Nevins wasn't even aware enough to notice he had changed out the lobby security guards to some of his own agents. They hated the rent-a-cop uniforms but at least his agents knew how to obey orders. He couldn't fathom how she was still an FBI agent, much less alive, with her sour attitude and general lack of knowledge.

He noticed her anger building at having to wait for his words; she balled up her fist and her eyes flashed with impatience. He kept his voice even and the order clear. "Listen carefully, Nevins. I know all about protocols and room sizes and your issues, but it would do well for you to remember that Nate isn't a regular witness. He's already destroyed two years of your evidence and only I know what else he's capable of. Now run along and withdraw your transfer request before you ruin this entire case _again_."

For a long moment, she just stood there looking at him. He would rather deal with any other blonde on the planet – even Parker – than to be in the same city block as this so-called agent. As she finally started walking back from the way she came, Sterling wondered if maybe he could get _her_ transferred somewhere else instead.


End file.
